GOODISON, some suggested, had become the California of the Premiership. The place where those who had once entertained the masses came to slip away from the footballing world quietly.

So the story's gone following the arrival of David Ginola.

Advocates of that theory will have been disappointed then that the average age of the starting eleven yesterday was a reasonable 27 - and that with the latest admission to the 'graveyard' pitched in from the start.

Few would deny that too many of Everton's first teamers are pushing the less pretty end of the age spectrum. Facts don't lie. But you live within your means.

Like the Blues' other high-profile thirty something, Paul Gascoigne, Ginola comes on a free, desperate to play football at the highest level.

Like Gascoigne, people have questioned his mindset but never his ability.

If you're good enough you're old enough after all, therefore it should follow that if you're good enough you're always young enough.

And the quicker the better given where Everton languish at the moment.

As with Gascoigne, Ginola arrives with the remit of making things happen.

When Everton's troubles have been debated in recent weeks the nail has been hit firmly on the head of creativity, money and finishing - or a lack of them.

In bringing in Ginola (pictured), Walter Smith has done as much as anyone with a limited budget can do to address the problems of creativity.

The fact that the Blues' boss has been able to get his hands on enough cash to add some flesh onto the bare bones of his squad at all, is progress in itself.

That said, the arrival of a 'depleted' Arsenal outfit re-emphasised that as a squad the Goodison Idols are still more your Gareth Gates than your 'Fat Rick' as far as meat goes.

More of the third later on.

This, apparently, was a good time to play Arsene Wenger's side. Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp were suspended. Martin Keown, Ashley Cole, and Freddie Ljungberg were left behind in the Highbury treatment room and Kanu on African Nations Cup duty.

That only left the World Cup winning trio of Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Patrick Vieira to contend with, and the not so timid midfield talents of England man Ray Parlour and Dutch international Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.

Nothing to worry about there then.

Apparently not, judging by Everton's first half display as they kept their opponents quiet to such an extent that at times you had to remind yourself who they were playing.

Yes, Arsenal were ravaged by injury and suspension but Goodison is not a place to voice excuses like that. Walter Smith could kit out an army with the T-shirts he's been able to collect.

Twelve days ago he was able to take just one recognised midfielder with him to Aston Villa.

Suddenly a complete and balanced midfield has appeared - and a promising one at that.

Tobias Linderoth had had little chance to impress in his 45 minute debut against Ipswich last weekend but once he'd found his feet in this one he looked a player. As did his central midfield partner Lee Carsley (pictured).

Carsley's arrival on Friday had been overshadowed by the arrival of Ginola.

They signed on the same day but were always going to court a different press.

The Republic of Ireland international was the less glamorous of the two - on and off the pitch - and was never going to be snapped up to front an advertsing campaign for a shampoo company.

But by the 27th minute the Gwladys Street faithful were singing his name.

Barry Horne will tell you when you have a reputation as a hard-working midfielder that sort of respect doesn't come easy.

On the basis of this, the new-look midfield has great potential. So in a game where Everton failed to score again, what of their strikeforce?

After a run of four games, Duncan Ferguson is back in the treatment room, courtesy of a hamstring injury this time, while Tomasz Radzinski's comeback from a stomach strain has been delayed once again.

The effort put in by Kevin Campbell can never be questioned but he hasn't found the back of a Premiership net since returning from injury.

Just three league goals have gone in in the last nine games and if the 'goals for' tally continues to stagnate Everton could find themselves plunged into deep trouble.

The stark statistics could have been improved upon had anything come of two good penalty claims in the second half when first Stubbs was hauled back by Stepanovs and then Campbell.

But it's goal productivity from open play that the Blues are crying out for.

In a bright debut Ginola, demonstrating his versatility in a forward role alongside Campbell, almost provided that.

Less than two minutes in he fired in a fierce shot that flicked off the back of the hapless Igor Stepanovs forcing Richard Wright into a diving save.

With David Unsworth clearly having been forced to sacrifice his free-kick taking responsibilities in the last 48 hours, the Frenchman then found the outside of the post with a swerving free-kick, before disappointingly scuffing a golden opportunity from 18 yards out after new boys Carsley and Linderoth had carved open the Gunners defence.

That had been a regular feature of the first half but the space Everton had found in the opening period vanished after the break and Arsenal began directing matters, prompted by Parlour's switch to the centre of midfield and the customary brilliance of Patrick Vieira.

The half-time coffee was still steaming when he let rip from long range with the ever-reliable David Weir mopping up after Steve Simonsen had spilled.

Minutes later, Parlour started and finished a promising move with Wiltord that saw him blast his teammate's square ball high.

Still, Everton were managing to contain Arsenal's growing threat - until the 62nd minute when Vieira chipped a perfectly flighted ball over the Everton defence and a slipping and stretching Wiltord hooked his shot over the hesitant Simonsen.

It was a rare moment of bad judgement from the young keeper who appeared to think the ball would land over his crossbar.

That merely intensified the frustration that the good work done in the first half had not yielded a goal.

Alan Stubbs had his usual couple of close pot shots from long range but the opposition net looked less like bulging as the game wore on.

And so it proved. This was a game that Everton could have won but instead they sit just three points off the bottom three with a trip to Liverpool on the horizon.

If they play in the same manner as they did against Arsenal then they could cause an upset at Anfield.